Spicy Tuna Onigiri

This spicy tuna onigiri is incrediblly easy to make and we will show you how to make them with and without a mold! They are perfect as quick snacks, grab-and-go meals, and for road trips and picnics! The spicy mayo tuna is perfectly seasoned wrapped in seasoned sushi rice and nori. Each bite is well seasoned and flavorful, YUM!

Kyong can vouch to say that whenever we go shopping at our local Asian grocery stores like Mitsuwa and Hmart, I always bought a mayo tuna onigiri. They are so additive and fun to eat! My favorite part is ripping off the plastic and revealing the still crispy nori!

So today, we're showing you how to make your own spicy tuna onigiri easily at home, with or without a mold. And if you're like me, I like to pack mine with a generous amount of spicy mayo tuna!

If you're looking for more grab and go meals, we highly recommend our tamago sando (Japanese egg sandwich), spam kimbap, and Korean sausage bread!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• How to prepare rice for onigiri and spicy mayo tuna
• How to make spicy tuna onigiri with mold
• How to make spicy tuna onigiri without mold
• Solution to soggy nori
• Step by step of making onigiri with onigiri wrap
• Recipe tips
• Storage
• Reheating
• FAQ
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Feedback

Ingredients

Please scroll down to the recipe card for the ingredient quantities!

• Cooked sushi rice - It is best to use sushi rice for onigiri because they are short grain and have the best texture. However, if you prefer, medium grain rice works too. We don't recommend using long grain rice, because there's not enough starch to help the rice stick together.
• Rice vinegar, sugar, salt - These are the seasonings needed to season the sushi rice. You could use just a little salt or no seasoning at all, but we're big believers of flavors in every layer! You could substitute seasoning plain rice vinegar for already seasoned rice vinegar, also sometimes called sushi rice vinegar.
• Furikake (optional) - Furikake is also known as Japanese rice seasoning. There's different variety of them and you can choose which ones to use. They all add more umami flavor to the sushi rice.
• Canned tuna (light) - Any lightly salted canned tuna will do.
• Kewpie mayo - This is also known as Japanese mayo. It's much more flavorful than regular mayo, so we highly recommend it. However, if you can't find kewpie mayo, you can use plain mayo as a substitute.
• Sriracha - An asian pantry stable! Sriracha adds spice to the spicy mayo tuna.
• Nori sheets or onigiri wraps - For the iconic wrapping on the outside of the onigiri. You can use either regular roasted nori sheets, cut in half, or onigiri wraps. Onirgiri wraps are nori sheets wrapped in plastic film. This keeps the nori crispy until ready to eat.

How to prepare rice for onigiri and spicy mayo tuna

1. Combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Mix until dissolved.

2. While the sushi rice is hot, season the rice with the prepared rice vinegar and furikake. With a rice paddle, fluff the rice well so that the seasonings are evenly dispersed. Cover with a damp towel and set aside to let the rice cool.

🌟 Pro tip: It is ideal to cool the rice as quickly as possible to prevent it from become too mushy and sticky. You can transfer the rice to a large mixing bowl or a sheet pan for faster cooling (and even seasoning if you prefer). Some chefs even fan the rice to help it cool faster.

3. Combine the drained tuna, kewypie mayo, and Sriracha. Mix until evenly combined.

How to make spicy tuna onigiri with mold

1. Place half a sheet of nori, shiny side down, and place the tip of the triangle mold at the center of the top edge of the seaweed.

2. Add enough rice into the mold to cover the bottom, about ¼ to ⅓ cup of rice. Spread the seasoned rice as evenly as possible on the bottom and slightly up the sides of the mold to form a little "bowl."

4. Place about a tablespoon of the spicy mayo tuna in the center and cover the top with about the same amount of rice as the bottom. Spread out the rice if need be, then use the press to firmly and evenly press down the onigiri. Keep the pressure on the press and pull the triangle mold up to release the mold.

🌟 Pro tip: Don't press too hard and keep the pressure even! Pressing too hard can squeeze the spicy tuna too much, causing it to leech. The even pressure is so the onigiri is even in thickness all the way around.

5. Fold the bottom half of the nori over the onigiri and fold the corners down to adhere. Set aside and repeat with remaining ingredients.

How to make spicy tuna onigiri without mold

1. Place a sheet of cling film flat on your work surface and spread about ½ cup to ⅔ cup of the seasoned rice at the center of the cling film. Try to keep to be as even as possible and keep the rice about ½ inch thick, but make sure there are no holes.

4. Add about 1 tablespoon of the spicy mayo tuna at the center of the rice. Next, using the cling film, bring the rice together and twist the cling wrap to form a ball. Undo the twist and gently flatten the rice ball to about 1 inch thick. Using your hands, shape the flattened rice ball into a triangle.

5. Place half a sheet of nori, shiny side down, and place the triangle rice ball at the center of the top half of the seaweed. Fold the bottom half of the nori over the onigiri and fold the corners down to adhere. Set it aside and repeat with remaining ingredients.

Solution to soggy nori

It is inevitable that the nori sheet will get soggy pretty soon after you wrap it on an onigiri. The only ways to prevent that is to:

1. Use onigiri wraps. These wraps are made so that onigiri sold at convenient and grocery stores have crispy nori whenever the customer wish to eat it. The nori is separated with a plastic film, which as like a barrier.

2. Wrap the onigiri with nori when ready to eat. Keep your onigiri either in a separate container or individually wrapped with cling film. When you're ready to enjoy, wrap the onigiri with the prepared seaweed sheets.

Step by step of making onigiri with onigiri wrap

Below shows you the step by step photos of how to wrap with an onigiri wrap with a triangle mold:

Recipe tips

• Drain the canned tuna well. Make sure to press the canned tuna to extract as much excess liquid from it as possible. This prevents your spicy tuna filling from leaking into the rice.
• Season the rice while hot. It is important that you season the sushi rice while it's hot because this will properly dissolve any salt and sugar leftover and the rice absorb better when hot.
• Cool the seasoned rice quickly to prevent it from becoming too sticky or mushy. You can transfer the rice to a large mixing bowl or sheet pan to help cool quickly. Some sushi chefs evenly fan their rice to help it cool faster.
• Cover the seasoned rice as you prep the rest of your ingredients. Once the rice is cooled or is cooling on the side, make sure to light cover with a damp towel to prevent it from become dry and hard.

Storage

Onigiri is best for eating the day they're made. Refrigerating them can cause the rice to harden up, losing their perfect texture. However, if must make it ahead of time or have leftovers, we recommend that you wrap each spicy tuna onigiri individually in cling film, without the nori. You can store them in the fridge for up to 2 days. The longer they sit in the fridge, the drier and harder the rice tends to get.

Reheating

As mentioned, onigiri is best eaten the day they are made for best flavor and texture. If you refrigerated them individually as recommended, then you can microwave them until heated through or until the rice has softened. You can do this either covered, on a plate or with the onigiri wrapped in cling wrap. Let them cool before wrapping in nori.

FAQ

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